The Vladivostok class replaces and
supplements Starfleet's transport fleet currently consisting of considerably different ship
designs some of
which date back more than 100 years. The compact design is
similar to that of the Sydney-class personnel transports,
however, the Vladivostok class mainly serves to carry cargo, with accommodations for
just 100 passengers. Due
to its powerful and durable warp core and relatively high speed these
starships are suited to operate at the Federation borders where
they can serve as military supply vessels in case of a conflict.
For this purpose the Vladivostok is also equipped with phaser
arrays and photon torpedoes. These amendments were made in the final stage of
the design, when the conflict with the Cardassians emerged. After a first batch,
consisting only of
USS Vladivostok NCC-46920 and USS Zanzibar NCC-46921, had been
delivered, the production of further vessels was halted. It had been discovered
that the plasma couplings would not withstand the peak power of the new phaser
arrays. The power system was redesigned in later vessels, while the phasers of
the first two ships of the class remained throttled.

After several older cruiser-type starships like the
Miranda had been converted to cargo ships, the series production of the
Vladivostok class was
temporarily discontinued in the 2350's. It can be expected that more ships are
going to be built in the 2380's when many ships of the Antares class and the Sydney
class will reach the end of their scheduled lifespan. It was intended to develop a larger
variant that can also transport settlers with bulky equipment, but this is most
likely going to be no variant of the Vladivostok, but a completely new ship
type.